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[URL]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/3741257.stm[/URL]
Gerard Houllier's departure for Liverpool will apparently be announced on Monday. I for one am sad that he's going - I think if you look at things objectively, he's done a lot for the club in his six years, before he turned up, it was still in the culture of the club to drink and womanize (with the Spice Boys twaddle and all that). He put a stop to that, in much the same as Wenger did at Arsenal. Before he came along, Liverpool were finishing 8th and 10th. During his reign, we were 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd, always finishing behind better teams.
Besides, they had one dodgy season and that can hardly be blamed on him. Admittedly his biggest downfalls were his terrible purchases - Diao, Diouff, Cheyrou - I shudder to think how much money was wasted on them, but he wouldn't have signed them if they didn't have potential. The blame has to lie with the players who weren't pulling their weight, surely.
I just hope we get Curbishley or, even better, Martin O'Neill as a replacement. I was kind of hoping Houllier would stay on as director of football or some other role, as it'd be a shame to outright sack what is essentially a good manager (he'd be the first to be sacked in 40 years). To come back strong after something as terrible as a heart bypass shows a lot of character, and I think a lot of the players will be sad he's on his way. Wonder how many will scoot in the summer because he won't be there?
Farewell Gerard, we hardly knew ye.
Gerard Houllier's departure for Liverpool will apparently be announced on Monday. I for one am sad that he's going - I think if you look at things objectively, he's done a lot for the club in his six years, before he turned up, it was still in the culture of the club to drink and womanize (with the Spice Boys twaddle and all that). He put a stop to that, in much the same as Wenger did at Arsenal. Before he came along, Liverpool were finishing 8th and 10th. During his reign, we were 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd, always finishing behind better teams.
Besides, they had one dodgy season and that can hardly be blamed on him. Admittedly his biggest downfalls were his terrible purchases - Diao, Diouff, Cheyrou - I shudder to think how much money was wasted on them, but he wouldn't have signed them if they didn't have potential. The blame has to lie with the players who weren't pulling their weight, surely.
I just hope we get Curbishley or, even better, Martin O'Neill as a replacement. I was kind of hoping Houllier would stay on as director of football or some other role, as it'd be a shame to outright sack what is essentially a good manager (he'd be the first to be sacked in 40 years). To come back strong after something as terrible as a heart bypass shows a lot of character, and I think a lot of the players will be sad he's on his way. Wonder how many will scoot in the summer because he won't be there?
Farewell Gerard, we hardly knew ye.
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AfroJoe wrote:
> Not conceeding a goal to Kluivert, Saviola, Overmars, Luis Enrique and
> Ronaldinho could be considered an achievement for any team, let alone
> Celtic.
Saviola was suspended for the 2nd after getting sent off in the first! Kluivert played no part in either game!
In fact, there's a strong chance that Celtic are one of the
> only teams who have played Barcelona this season and come away
> without conceeding.
Hate to rain on your parade, but....
Atletico Madrid
Real Valladolid
Racing Santander
Celta Vigo
Levante
Valencia
Deportivo
Villarreal
Real Zaragoza
The last 4 keeping clean sheets at the camp nou.
> Not conceeding a goal to Kluivert, Saviola, Overmars, Luis Enrique and
> Ronaldinho could be considered an achievement for any team, let alone
> Celtic.
Saviola was suspended for the 2nd after getting sent off in the first! Kluivert played no part in either game!
In fact, there's a strong chance that Celtic are one of the
> only teams who have played Barcelona this season and come away
> without conceeding.
Hate to rain on your parade, but....
Atletico Madrid
Real Valladolid
Racing Santander
Celta Vigo
Levante
Valencia
Deportivo
Villarreal
Real Zaragoza
The last 4 keeping clean sheets at the camp nou.
Not conceeding a goal to Kluivert, Saviola, Overmars, Luis Enrique and Ronaldinho could be considered an achievement for any team, let alone Celtic. In fact, there's a strong chance that Celtic are one of the only teams who have played Barcelona this season and come away without conceeding.
Edgar Davids or not, you have to admit that the victory over Barcelona was highly impressive.
Edgar Davids or not, you have to admit that the victory over Barcelona was highly impressive.
Beating Barcelona was nothing special this season.
Was mainly down to suspensions from the first leg and them missing Davids in europe. Davids has been the main driving force behind them finishing 2nd this season. Before he arrived mid-season they were in the Tottenham position of la liga even with ronaldinho in the team.
Although i'll always love O'neil for his reaction to some poor decision agaisnt Juve a season or two ago.
Was mainly down to suspensions from the first leg and them missing Davids in europe. Davids has been the main driving force behind them finishing 2nd this season. Before he arrived mid-season they were in the Tottenham position of la liga even with ronaldinho in the team.
Although i'll always love O'neil for his reaction to some poor decision agaisnt Juve a season or two ago.
Oh, and I didn't read what AJ wrote before I wrote that, by the by.
Ashley wrote:
> What has he done?
Nothing much really. Only beaten Barcelona, one of the most prolific clubs in the world, in the UEFA cup, while also holding them at their own ground in front of 78,000 fans against all the odds.
Nah, not much really, is it?
> What has he done?
Nothing much really. Only beaten Barcelona, one of the most prolific clubs in the world, in the UEFA cup, while also holding them at their own ground in front of 78,000 fans against all the odds.
Nah, not much really, is it?
Ashley wrote:
> Martin o'neill whether you like it or not is unproven. What has he
> done? I take no (well little) pleasure in belittling scottish
> football, but i'm quite clearly right.
Yes, and taking your team to a UEFA Cup Final against all expectations and nearly winning the damn thing isn't enough to merit your respect and admiration? And this season they got to the quarter finals, knocking out the mighty Barcelona (yes, the team that has qualified for European football every year since it began) along the way... surely that can't be bad. Plus, look at his achievements at Leicester. Hardly the work of an average manager, I'd say.
> If you have a race and you have two jockeys on race horses, the
> remaining 10 on donkeys, your never going to get shock results. Thats
> how the scottish league is, and one of the race horses is fitter than
> the other at the moment.
Heh, and the Premiership is any different? Yes, the quality of the teams outside the top few might be a little higher, but at the start of the season, can anyone honestly see a team that isn't Arsenal, Man United, and maybe now Chelsea winning it? No. Exactly.
> YOu'll never get a shock league. If we moved liverpool and newcastle
> to the Norwegian league ( a respectable league but no thorough
> quality) which two teams do you think would finish top? Would it
> matter who was in charge? i think not. Out of every player outside of
> celtic and rangers how many do you think would make any premiership
> first eleven? and of celtic and rangers how many would make the top
> 6's first teams.
I think there are a lot of players who could make it from the 10 other SPL clubs who could make it at Premiership sides. Look at James McFadden - signed by Everton. And there's better than him in the SPL, I can tell you that. Also, I'm fairly confident a number of players from the Old Firm would get into Top 6 Premiership teams. Stefan Klos, seeing as he's better than any keeper in England, Bobo Balde, which is why Premiership clubs are showing interest in him, Neil Lennon, who is simply outstanding at what he does, Stilian Petrov, who is an amazingly hard worker and isn't the Bulgarian captain at 25 for no reason. Plus of course Larsson, Sutton and Hartson, as well as (as of next season) Dado Prso, which is why he's one of the top scorers in the Champions League this year. And I'm sure Peter Lovenkrands would fit into any team also. There are many more, but frankly I can't be bothered listing any more names: I've proven my point.
> what have i said thats idiotic? with the exception of a bit of
> european experience o'neill has little really under his belt. I could
> name 50 managers with better qualifications. I am not saying he is a
> bad manager at all!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, seeing as he's taken Celtic very far in Europe with the limited resources he has, I think that you saying he hasn't achieved anything is stupid. Like it or not, Martin O'Neill is one of the best managers around, simply because all his players respect him and listen to him. There aren't many managers that can take complete control of a team and take them much further than they're expected to go. And this is the reason O'Neill is much better than you're suggesting.
> Martin o'neill whether you like it or not is unproven. What has he
> done? I take no (well little) pleasure in belittling scottish
> football, but i'm quite clearly right.
Yes, and taking your team to a UEFA Cup Final against all expectations and nearly winning the damn thing isn't enough to merit your respect and admiration? And this season they got to the quarter finals, knocking out the mighty Barcelona (yes, the team that has qualified for European football every year since it began) along the way... surely that can't be bad. Plus, look at his achievements at Leicester. Hardly the work of an average manager, I'd say.
> If you have a race and you have two jockeys on race horses, the
> remaining 10 on donkeys, your never going to get shock results. Thats
> how the scottish league is, and one of the race horses is fitter than
> the other at the moment.
Heh, and the Premiership is any different? Yes, the quality of the teams outside the top few might be a little higher, but at the start of the season, can anyone honestly see a team that isn't Arsenal, Man United, and maybe now Chelsea winning it? No. Exactly.
> YOu'll never get a shock league. If we moved liverpool and newcastle
> to the Norwegian league ( a respectable league but no thorough
> quality) which two teams do you think would finish top? Would it
> matter who was in charge? i think not. Out of every player outside of
> celtic and rangers how many do you think would make any premiership
> first eleven? and of celtic and rangers how many would make the top
> 6's first teams.
I think there are a lot of players who could make it from the 10 other SPL clubs who could make it at Premiership sides. Look at James McFadden - signed by Everton. And there's better than him in the SPL, I can tell you that. Also, I'm fairly confident a number of players from the Old Firm would get into Top 6 Premiership teams. Stefan Klos, seeing as he's better than any keeper in England, Bobo Balde, which is why Premiership clubs are showing interest in him, Neil Lennon, who is simply outstanding at what he does, Stilian Petrov, who is an amazingly hard worker and isn't the Bulgarian captain at 25 for no reason. Plus of course Larsson, Sutton and Hartson, as well as (as of next season) Dado Prso, which is why he's one of the top scorers in the Champions League this year. And I'm sure Peter Lovenkrands would fit into any team also. There are many more, but frankly I can't be bothered listing any more names: I've proven my point.
> what have i said thats idiotic? with the exception of a bit of
> european experience o'neill has little really under his belt. I could
> name 50 managers with better qualifications. I am not saying he is a
> bad manager at all!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, seeing as he's taken Celtic very far in Europe with the limited resources he has, I think that you saying he hasn't achieved anything is stupid. Like it or not, Martin O'Neill is one of the best managers around, simply because all his players respect him and listen to him. There aren't many managers that can take complete control of a team and take them much further than they're expected to go. And this is the reason O'Neill is much better than you're suggesting.
Colourless wrote:
> O'Neill's waiting for United.
>
> He's just being groomed at Celtic to replace S'Alex.
> O'Neill's waiting for United.
>
> He's just being groomed at Celtic to replace S'Alex.
don't know if it's been said, but 'pool are the only team who haven't sacked a manager post WW2.
i think mourinho would be a great top class club manager, but if he had to go to 'pool or anyone lower, i think he would struggle.
as for should houllier have been asked to go, or not. Yes is my opinion. wasted money, appears to have lost players, don't think his style of play is suited to the prem.
i think mourinho would be a great top class club manager, but if he had to go to 'pool or anyone lower, i think he would struggle.
as for should houllier have been asked to go, or not. Yes is my opinion. wasted money, appears to have lost players, don't think his style of play is suited to the prem.
You forget his amazng acheivements with leicester?
I think the only cowards round here are Peter Kenyon and Roman Abromavich for not telling Claudio Ranieri the real deal about his position at Chelsea, after today's 'meeting' things are still no clearer.
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